High Enthusiasm for Sports in DPR Korea

A hot wind of sports that is being raised high in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is fanning the sports enthusiasm among its people.

Professional sportspersons compete with each other to make new records in the national sports games including the Paektusan and Mangyongdae prizes games, while various games are held in organs, enterprises, cooperative farms and schools across the country.

This May alone witnessed sports games of the working people of North Phyongan Province in celebration of the May Day that took place in grand style in Sinuiju of northwestern Korea, of officials of province-level organs in Ryanggang Province in the northern tip of the country and Kangwon Province in the eastern part, of Women’s Union members in the capital city of Pyongyang, and matches of various sporting events and between units in North Hwanghae Province in the middle western part of Korea.

Athletic meetings and sports contests of youth and students are also conducted briskly.

Parks newly built across Pyongyang including the banks of the Taedong River are always crowded with adults and children playing volleyball, badminton and other games, and roller-skating.

High enthusiasm for sports visible in the DPRK cannot be considered apart from its leader Kim Jong Un.

To raise the position of the DPRK onto that of a sports power within several years by putting a spur to the building of a civilized socialist country—this is the decision and will of Kim Jong Un.

Thanks to his keen attention and energetic leadership a series of radical measures for sports development have been taken, such as the establishment of the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission and other relevant guidance system, the enhancement of the scientific system of training athlete reserves and fanning up of the public interest in sports.

 He set forth an immediate target of developing the physical culture and sports of the country proportionately while putting efforts to odds-on events so as to win medals in international matches. He also highlighted in detail sports technology, tactics and training methods and clarified ways and means for the building of a sports power such as putting sports on a scientific basis, selecting and training players in a far-sighted way and making sports mass-based and a part of everyday life.

Though he was busy leading the overall affairs of the country, he watched athletic trainings and games on several occasions and personally met gold-medal winners in the international games to congratulate them on their success. He saw sports contests of health workers on the occasion of the May Day and of the service personnel.

Kim Jong Un also pays his particular attention to providing athletes and people with excellent stadiums and sports facilities. He looked round several places and took measures to reconstruct the stadiums modernly as required by the new century and to set up modern sports facilities and parks in many parts of the country.

He visited the People’s Open-air Ice Rink, which was inaugurated in November 2012, in Pyongyang on three occasions. In May 2013 he gave field guidance to Masikryong Ski Resort under construction in the eastern area of Korea to set forth the task and ways to build it into a world-level one and sent an appeal for its successful completion.

Kim Jong Un sees to it that the enthusiasm for sports is not limited to a specific sector but to be expanded to all others.

While inspecting a training field of a cavalry company of the Korean People’s Army he set the task of renovating it into a modern riding club for ordinary people. Noting that Pyongyang citizens were now keen on roller-skating in the grounds built in various places, he said that they would switch to riding when the riding club would be built. At the construction site of Masikryong ski resort, Kim Jong Un said in delight that the completion of the ski resort would kindle the enthusiasm for skiing across the country.

This growing national enthusiasm for sports produces wonderful successes among DPRK sportspersons in international competitions.

Last year the DPRK athletes snatched over 120 medals and established over 40 new records in international competitions including the 30^th Olympic Games and 2012 Asian youth and juvenile weightlifting championships. This year, too, they are continuously achieving successes one after another.

 Last February Yang Kyong Il snatched a gold medal in the 51^st international wrestling championships and Kim Kum Ok in the 14^th Asian marathon championships. In March Ri Se Gwang took the first place in the 6^th round of the challenger cup tournament of the International Gymnastic Federation. In April many athletes from the DPRK won gold medals in the world juvenile weightlifting championships, a short-track speed skating competition, Asian judo and wrestling championships, and the 8^th Asian acrobatic gymnastics championships. In May Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong took the first place in the mixed doubles at the 52^nd ITTF World Championships, and Pak Kum Hyang won two gold medals in the Taiwan International Track and Field Championships. Kim Jin Ok and Choe Un Gyong took the title in the IFS-2013 Grand Prix Diving Game held in Khazan.

High enthusiasm for sports prevailing in the DPRK is inspiring it towards a status of a sports power.